An Aeorsmith Kitchen

Since I ended my last blog with a reference to Aerosmith's bass guitar player, Tom Hamilton and his lovely wife Terry, I figured I would do a really smooth and suave segway into a post about the kitchen I designed for them and some other spaces in their home.

Like my previous posts about my old magazine articles.....

I did this job years and years and years ago.

This was another spread in Traditional Home Magazine. Except that one slip with House Beautiful, I pretty much gave them first dibs on all my projects that were ready for publication. Relationships with decorating editors can sometimes be like dating, they don't like it when you cheat. (Even though they're using lots of other designers.)

(I'm starting to remember why I stopped dating.)

I had been working for Steven Tyler's and Joe Perry's families when I met Tom and Terry at the Perrys' baby shower.

I know, I know.......

The crazy partying life of rock stars.

Terry mentioned that they wanted to redo their kitchen, and (not being a modest, shrinking, demure, quiet flower) I let them know that when it came to kitchens.......

I WAS A ROCK STAR!!!!!

I mean, come on.....

Check out that turned leg!!!!!

I used stock Rutt Cabinets, and then had them make the custom cabinet with the leg I designed for the microwave. It's the only time I have ever put a microwave that low, but it worked in this kitchen.

We used green Formica countertops, and that's when I fell in love with the Hamiltons. They wanted the best practical surface for their family, and weren't interested in using the most expensive material available.

Formica's gotten a bad rap.

It's easy to keep clean, and comes in a gazillion colors.

That said; I have marble and wood countertops.

I am a hypocrite, and an impractical decorating fool.

'Matter of fact, don't listen to a word I say.

In the middle of the space was a brick structure that had been used for an old wood burning stove, or some old implement of fire in the house's distant past.

It was structural, so I had to work around it.

Like many an eyesore I've come across in my illustrious decorating journey, I dolled it up and made it the room focal point.

If only I could do that with my fat.

All I can do with my excess poundage, is cover it up.

Maybe, rather than sweatshirts, I should start wearing wallpaper.

O.K., to get back to the brick.....

Luckily, the distance between the two columns was just a little bigger than I needed for the range top, allowing me to recess it back into that space, and by bracketing it with 12" deep base cabinets, the whole kit and caboodle didn't jut too far into a limited amount of floor space.

I just read that sentence over, and it is really awkward, and I can't figure out how to make it better, so I'm leaving it alone.

So there.

I have now regressed to a 7th grader.

Terry and Tom wanted an eat in kitchen, so, since space was at a premium, I worked in the booth area.

Here's a picture of Terry. Isn't she beautiful??

Inside and out!!!

Soooooooooooooooo..................

The years went by, and their family grew, and they needed a larger area in which to eat and have a family room.

Think of all the money people could save, it they didn't have children!!!!

Think of all the china and mercury glass they could buy!!!!!

Sooooooooooooooooo.....................

They added on.

That's what folks do with an expanding family.

(or waistline)

published in Boston Magazine

If I remember correctly (and that's a big if), Terry got this table and chairs from an aunt.

Published in Boston Magazine

We did this room just when Shabby Chic was coming into every one's awareness. It was a store in California whose style was sweeping the nation.

If I remember correctly, (and that's a big if), Terry got the sectional from them and I had the slip cover made locally. I used 726 different fabrics in it.

O.K, maybe that's a slight exaggeration.

I used a lot, though.

If you look closely, you can see McDuff, sleeping on the sofa. I tell ya, that dog has the life.

DON'T FORGET!!!!!

Tuesday's Questions are coming up!! On Tuesday!!

So start thinking up some questions!!

For Tuesday!!

I'm thinking of calling it: ASK AWAY TUESDAY!!!

What do you guys think of that title?

No one's given me any suggestions.

You are absolutely no help at all.

SEE YA TUESDAY!!!

Linking to: 

      

 

 

Design Questions Answered!!!!!!

BETSY IS GOING TO PARTY!!!!!!!

For the new year I've had an IDEA!!!!
(actually, Amy from Maison Decor suggested that I do something like this awhile ago; but I'm just tweaking the idea.)
Twice a month I will answer decorating questions.
Until I think of a better name; it will be called "Tuesday's Answers".
I am open to suggestions for a better name, my brain is dead, dead, dead. 

Amy wanted me to call it "Rip me a new one", because of how I ripped her house apart when she asked my advice. I will try to be as kind and helpful as possible. She thinks I shouldn't dampen my personality (she thinks it's funny), but I don't want you guys to be afraid to ask questions.
O.K. it will go something like this:

on the first Tuesday of the month, (starting at 5:00 PM) link up to the "party" by linking a particular post, add your question to the end of your post with a link back to my blog.
For those of you who don't have a blog, you can email pictures with questions.
email me at:  betsyspeert@gmail.com.

IN ORDER TO GET AN ANSWER, YOU GUYS BETTER BE A FOLLOWER!!!!!
It's easy, just click on the blue box at the right; over the pictures of my members.

I will then post your pictures with my suggestions and answers on the following Tuesday.
If this becomes popular ('cuz, no one may even join the party), I will answer the questions I think will interest the most people.
Then the Tuesday in the  middle of the month, we will do it AGAIN!! And so on, and so on, and so on, and so on, and so on.........
I will choose the best questions the next week to share with everyone.

O.K on to the pictures!!!!!!!
Lisette emailed me the before pictures of her kitchen before she took the wall down, so I can now share them with you!!!!
Remember this kitchen??????
I posted it just two days ago, but with New Years Eve............

Here's what her kitchen looked like when I first met her.

Same view, isn't that amazing? She is one smart cookie.

She ripped down the wall....................

This opened up the kitchen to a large part of the pantry closet that was so narrow it was practically unusable.

She had bead board added, and the cabinets I wrote about on Friday.
Then she changed the counter top to marble and added white subway tile for a back splash behind the other counter tops in the kitchen.

VOILA!!!!!!!




O.K. don't forget to come back Tuesday!!!
I can't believe I'm giving out free advice!!!!!!!!!!!
That is, if anyone shows up.
Please post something, I don't want to feel like that fat kid in gym class that was always picked last.
My weight fluctuated, but I was ALWAYS picked last. At least that's how I remember it.
It's amazing how many people remember being picked last, makes you wonder who the @#$& was  picked first.

Betsy

Linking to: 

Mod Mix Monday at Mod Vintage Life

Budget Kitchen Project

If you don't want to see the following message..
Join my followers list!!!!!
I am going to keep posting this until I get at least 150 followers!!!

the following is an unpaid public service announcement........

Before I start today's post, I have a leetle request. As a new blogger, I would like to goose up my followers list, so if you read my blog, could you please add your name to the list? I would really appreciate it, and it would make me feel VERY popular!!!!!!!
Thanks!!!

The preceding was an unpaid public service announcement



My friend and bidness partner, Kris, told me I should intersperse my posts about old work I've done with my new projects. So much for trying to skate by on past accomplishments. Boy, she doesn't let me get away with nothin'.
Soooooo......
Today, I will share with you guys what I worked on yesterday with my buddy Lissette.
In order to keep my mental health, I need playmates to share my project victories and defeats. Down here in Florida, I am lucky enough to have three; Lissette, Helene and Joanie. Sometimes I play with one at a time, sometimes two, and very rarely three.
Yesterday, Lissette and I attacked her kitchen with something I have wanted to do for a year, and Helene was more than happy to put her two cents in.
I have wanted to take the doors off some of her kitchen cabinets for an open shelf effect.
Here is the before!!!!!!!

Two years ago Lissette took down the wall of her weird pantry closet and opened the space to the kitchen. Our friend, Nika, who lives behind Lissette, was redoing her kitchen, and gave Lisette these two base and wall cabinets. I drew up the addition of the little open shelves, which Lissette then had added to the wall cabinets. She kept a small part of the pantry closet, and had a small door made that opened into it. Lissette had the great idea to have a glass door with the word Pantry etched onto it. I helped her pick out the font, and added the lines around the outside of the glass. The only reason I am telling you all this, is to make sure she doesn't forget, and start to think that she was the one who did the final design.



So, anyway, last year at about this time, I started pushing to take the doors off the wall cabinets. It is soooooo annoying when people don't take my ideas the moment they fall like pearls from my mouth.

I mean, come on, it was a good idea.


HERE'S THE WAY IT LOOKED WHEN WE WERE DONE!!!!!!

I helped her with the styling of the shelves, and Helen played too.
I took this picture today, and I just noticed some of the plates on the bottom right are missing.
I can't believe they had the nerve to start using this stuff!!!











Here's a shot with the lights on, I can't decide which picture is better...

I definitely like the first one better, thanks for helping me decide.

We're thinking about taking a page from Amy at Maison Decor, and using the bead board wallpaper at the back of the cabinets, and painting it a color.
Now we'll fight for another year on what that color will be.

Betsy

Linking to: 

Mod Mix Monday at Mod Vintage Life

Cottage kitchen continued

When I first bought my Watertown house in 1977, I was just beginning to develop my sense of style. I thought I would redo the kitchen that was original to the 1937 house with something more wonderful. I hadn't yet realized that NOTHING is more wonderful than cabinetry from the 1930's. I started looking around in kitchen stores for cabinets I liked, only to come to the conclusion that what I had was better than anything on the market. Over the years I have designed many custom cabinets, and I repeatedly referred back to the detailing of my little house in Watertown.
The kitchen had a built in ironing board in the wall that I never used, so I reinvented the cabinet for my spices and of course to display some DOGS!!!!! All the following pictures are from The Boston Globe Design Magazine, shot by Eric Roth

The bottom part of the cabinet holds my spices. I had a glass panel added to the top door to display my dogs.











The walls were covered with a Cowtan and Tout fabric that I had vinyl coated (like an old oil cloth), so it would be wipeable, and then paper backed, so it could be hung like wallpaper. DON'T DO THIS!!! Over time the weight of the fabric (because of the vinyl coating) pulled away from the paper backing, and it started pulling away from the wall. This is why designers try stuff out on their own houses first!!!!!!!!

When I found this fabric that combined my love of dogs with the blue color of my Mexican tiles, I had to have it. It's been discontinued; my favorite stuff always gets discontinued. No one else ever likes the things I do. What's wrong with the world????




Over time I have found some pretty weird things. I had a carved dog pocket that held a brush. For some reason, I bought this item with no idea what I would ever use it for. THEN I FOUND ANOTHER SIMILAR ONE!!! O.K., hmmmm, two of something weird.....it must mean I HAVE TO FIGURE OUT A BRILLIANT WAY TO USE THEM AND SHOW THE WORLD HOW CLEVER I AM....

So I did what any normal person would, and had them made into wall sconces.
Then, to continue my normalcy, I had lampshades custom made and THEN I had my decorative artist paint them with dogs, fire hydrants and bones, all  gridded with leashes.
And don't forget the beaded trim I pulled off some Ballard Design lampshades with which to trim the suckers. Notice the little white scotty on top, it's a magnet.

Crowning the whole mess (oops, I mean design), is the SPEERT DOG HOUSE!!!!! My uncle Herman made this for my family when I was little. If someone was bad (like my Dad, singing at the dinner table) he got put in the dog house. Some joker stuck me in it for the photo shoot. In my present home, it's in the guest powder room, and after family dinners, it's always interesting to see if the dogs have been moved around.

I trimmed the window over the sink with left over bullion fringe and a wonderful vintage linen towel with, of course, A DOG on it. The carved white ring is an old picture frame I picked up for cheap somewhere. I'm always buying cheap stuff that I think is cool, having absolutely no idea how I will use it. Most of the stuff just sits around, pathetic and lonely till I give it away, or convince some poor client to buy it.

Not being able to stand a bare surface, I hung some plates on the sides of the wall cabinets.

I use small silver plate Paul Revere bowels for storage, here one holds some sponges. Of course, over time they tarnish (I really need to buy some polish) and start to look like @#$.

And finally.......
To finish the story on my cottage kitchen.......
Is this towel hook.
It was a small wooden carving of a dog holding a bone in its mouth. The bone was broken, so, I pulled it out and mounted the head on a little wooden plaque. It was my dish towel holder!!!!!!



Now, I'm tired of telling you guys this.....
It's a nice day.....
go outside and get some exercise.